Buses to sub for trains in Lowell

LOWELL — Travelers looking to use the Lowell Commuter Rail should prepare for no train service on weekends from Aug. 5 to Oct. 1 while the rail system is under construction.

The project on the Lowell line is necessary for the installation of the federally mandated Positive Train Control system, or PTC, designed to prevent train-to-train collisions and other serious rail system issues.

Without the train in service, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials revealed in a presentation at City Hall on Wednesday night that customers will be provided access to shuttle buses to carry them along the line.

Customers can board shuttle buses at the following Lowell line MBTA stations: Lowell, North Billerica, Wilmington, Anderson/Woburn, Winchester Center, Wedgemere, West Medford and North Station, according to the MBTA website.

The project is in compliance with the PTC Implementation Plan required by the Federal Railroad Administration and the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

Assistant General Manager of MBTA Commuter Rail and Ferry Services Jody Ray, who led Wednesday night’s meeting, noted that function of the PTC is to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zone limits, and movement of trains through track switches that may have been left in the incorrect position.